Thomas Partey will be key to any Arsenal revival this season - provided he stays fit

Thomas Partey showed what he can bring to the Arsenal midfield during the 1-0 win over Norwich. But he will need to stay fit to make a bigger impact.

Thomas Partey was difference maker for Arsenal against Norwich. (Image: Twitter)
By Shayne Dias | Sep 15, 2021 | 4 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Arsenal’s win over Norwich in the Premier League on Saturday was a relief to fans for a number of reasons. It was a match that saw them notch their first win of the season after three straight losses. The goal scored by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was their first of the league season. The match also saw them notch their first clean sheet of the league season, which would have been of some relief to Aaron Ramsdale, making his league debut. But perhaps the most significant part of the match was the return of Thomas Partey.

The midfielder, coming back from injury, was brought into the game as a substitute after the hour mark. Just a few minutes later, he started the move which led to Arsenal’s only goal.

He fizzed a ball between the Norwich lines and into the path of Bukayo Saka. The young winger ran at goal and, after a bit of a goalbox melee, Aubameyang had slotted home for the Gunners.

Instantly, he showed fans what it is he can do. And granted, it’s only Norwich – the team that look early relegation favourites having only been promoted back this season.

But Partey brings something different and much-needed to the Arsenal midfield. The real issue around him is his injury-related issues in recent times.

How injuries derailed Thomas Partey in his debut season

When Thomas Partey was signed by the side on the summer deadline day in 2020, many saw him as a missing link in Arsenal’s midfield. A holding midfielder or deep-lying playmaker is a necessity in modern football, and Arsenal’s options in that department were somewhat limited.

Mohamed Elneny is more box-to-box and is prone to bouts of inconsistency. Granit Xhaka is no one’s idea of an elite midfielder, yet is amazingly still a starter at the club. Neither fit the ideal for what manager Mikel Arteta needs in that position.

Given the Spaniard is keen to play a 4-3-3 with two attacking number 8s lying ahead of a number 6, that makes the role of the number 6 all the more crucial.

Partey, as it turns out, excels in this position. Yet he hasn’t played anywhere near as much as he would have liked to, with his debut season hampered by injuries.

There was a muscle injury in the beginning of November that saw him miss nearly a month’s action. A day after he recovered from that, he was out a knock on the hip. And this time for more than a month.

By the time he recovered, it was already January. He picked up another knock that kept him out of training for a day, this time towards the end of January. Frustratingly, he was back on the injury list for another fortnight in February.

For a player coming to a new league and trying to find his feet, these many disruptions can derail momentum. That is exactly what happened witn Partey.

Yet after a summer break before pre-season, he looked refreshed. But the injury curse carried on, as he picked up a knock on his ankle that kept him out nearly a month.

Why the midfield needs Partey to cope

Now recovered from that, he will hope to kick on and get a run of games in the side. Arteta will be hoping for the same, mainly because Thomas Partey is key to them playing the style he wants to implement.

Given Arteta uses Emile Smith-Rowe and Martin Odegaard as advanced midfielders, he will need a strong defensive presence behind them. Partey provides that solidity in spades.

He’s also a good passer of the ball, as demonstrated by his pass to Saka in the Norwich game. And whether it be an expansive pass or a safe one that recycles possession, Partey is capabale of it all.

His ability to read the game and intercept opposition passes will help Arsenal play on the front foot. And his aerial ability will be key in defending set pieces, an area Arsenal often struggle at.

But there’s more to it than just that. Ahead of the Norwich game, Arteta highlighted what Partey brings to the side while imploring him to be ‘the boss’ of their midfield.

“He is a player that has to be one of the leaders, he has to be the boss in midfield and one of the senior players that has to carry responsibility out of the young players and lead. We have been missing that big time.

“He is a player that has that winning culture, because he has won a lot in the game already, and to have these kind of players in the team is extremely important. So he has got a huge role to play in the team.”

It’s early days yet, but it seems like Partey is ready to step up to the challenge. Now the key is to keep him fit.





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